Portal:India/Did you know 2

This is a selection of articles on Wikipedia that appeared on the India Portal's Did you know section. (Archives are in sets of approximately 50 items each)



Did you know...

 * 1) ...that wearing the Gandhi cap became a steadfast tradition during the Indian independence movement that is continued by Indian politicians to this day?
 * 2) ...that the Indian Opinion was founded by Mahatma Gandhi and served as the main vehicle for the Indian civil rights struggle in early-20th century South Africa?
 * 3) ...that the village of Naluvedapathy in Tamil Nadu, India remained unscathed by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami because of a record 80,244 casuarina saplings planted on the coast two years earlier?
 * 4) ...that the founders of the Indian spice manufacturing company MDH were popularly known as "Deggi Mirch Wale" (the Pot Chilli People)?
 * 5) ...that a tornado that hit Dantan in India on March 24, 1998 killed over 250 people?
 * 6) ... that Mughal subedar Shaista Khan conquered Chittagong and ousted the British East India Company from Bengal over a trade dispute?
 * 7) ...that the Kandariya Mahadeva is considered one of the best examples of Hindu temples preserved from the medieval period in India?
 * 8) ...that during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, an unknown Pakistani B-57 bomber pilot was codenamed 8-Pass Charlie by his impressed Indian adversaries at Adampur airbase for his daring routine of making eight passes during each of his air raids over the alerted airbase?
 * 9) ... that Kashmiriyat defined the way of life of the Kashmiri people in medieval times, helping them preserve harmony and unity amidst political turmoil and invasions of Kashmir?
 * 10) ...that Justice G. T. Nanavati headed a one-man commission to investigate the 1984 anti-Sikh riots?
 * 11) ...that most of the Chinese of Calcutta are Christian?
 * 12) ...that the Periyar National Park, Thekkady is located around the Periyar reservoir formed by the backwaters of the Mullaperiyar dam?
 * 13) ...that Hamdard (Wakf) Laboratories, the world's largest manufacturer of Unani medicines, reinvests all its profits into charitable activities?
 * 14) ...that the comic series Bahadur created in 1978, focussed on rehabilitation of dacoits at a time when dacoity was prevalent in many parts of rural India?
 * 15) ...Nivedita Bhasin of Indian Airlines became the youngest woman pilot in world civil aviation history to command a jet aircraft at the age of 26?
 * 16) ...that the Haryana Tourism Corporation names its tourist complexes after local birds in the Indian state of Haryana?
 * 17) ...that Narayan Debnath created the comic-strip character Batul The Great as a normal mortal but gave him superhero powers to take on guns, missiles, and tanks when the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 flared up?
 * 18) ...that the cast for the Academy Awards-nominated movie Little Terrorist had never acted in a movie before, and the crew worked for the movie free of charge, and even travelled to India at their own expense?
 * 19) ...that Mehrauli, a neighbourhood of Delhi housing the famous Qutb complex, was the capital of the Slave dynasty from 1206 to 1290?
 * 20) ...that the Sidrapong Hydel Power Station is the oldest hydroelectric power station in India?
 * 21) ...that Harbhajan Singh was rewarded with an offer to become the Deputy Superintendent of Punjab police after becoming the first Indian cricketer to take a Test hat-trick?
 * 22) ...that Parthiv Patel had never played domestic first-class cricket prior to becoming the youngest Test wicketkeeper in history at just 17 years and 102 days?
 * 23) ...that Hitler's Cross was a Hitler-themed restaurant in Navi Mumbai that was causing so much controversy that it had to drop its name after less than a week?
 * 24) ...that the fort at Arki, India was captured by Gurkhas in 1806 and used as their stronghold till 1815, when they ceded it during the Gurkha War?
 * 25) ...the Shuka Saptati, written originally in Sanskrit, is a collection of seventy erotic tales narrated by a parrot to prevent its mistress from committing adultery while her husband is away from home?
 * 26) ...that Indian entrepreneur Jamsetji Tata conceptualized Tata Steel, Tata Power and the Indian Institute of Science, but that they were only established after his death in 1904?
 * 27) ... that Islam Khan I was the founder of the modern city of Dhaka and the first Mughal general to subjugate Bengal?
 * 28) ...that Vikram Seth's A Suitable Boy is the longest single-volume novel ever published in English?
 * 29) ...that the Cellular Jail in the Andaman Islands in India had a forked structure and derived its name from the fact that it comprised only isolated cells?
 * 30) ...that Punjabi film-star Yograj Singh was a former Test cricketer and father of current Indian batsman Yuvraj Singh?
 * 31) ...that Yogendra Singh Yadav of the Indian Army was awarded India's highest military honour posthumously in error, until it was realized that he was still alive recovering from injuries from the Kargil War?
 * 32) ...that the original tunnel built to connect the Kalka–Shimla Railway at Barog, Himachal Pradesh was abandoned as the two constructed ends did not meet?
 * 33) ...that the Bangabhaban has served as the official residence for the Viceroy of India, Governor of East Pakistan and the President of Bangladesh?
 * 34) ...that the Baharistan-i-Ghaibi is the only extensive historical document accounting the wars, events and life in Bengal during the reign of Mughal emperor Jahangir?
 * 35) ...that the Malayalam movie Moonnamathoral was the first high-definition film to be digitally distributed to theatres via satellite?
 * 36) ...that Indian Test cricketer S. Sreesanth was previously a national break dancing champion of India?
 * 37) ...that Maulana Mehmud Hasan organised an armed rebellion against the British Raj with Turkish support but was arrested just before his return to India?
 * 38) ...that Binaca Geetmala was a Radio Ceylon countdown program of hit Indian film songs that was the most listened-to radio program in India for portions of its 42-year run?
 * 39) ...that residents of Mumbai claimed that the water at Mahim Creek had turned sweet during the 2006 Mumbai sweet seawater incident?
 * 40) ...that the US$500 million ski village project promoted by Alfred Ford in Himachal Pradesh, India was rejected by the local gods as being detrimental to the population of Kullu?
 * 41) ...that the film crew of actress Revathi's directorial debut Mitr, My Friend was entirely composed of women?
 * 42) ...that the Cheraman Juma Masjid, the oldest mosque in India, was originally constructed in traditional Hindu architectural style?
 * 43) ...that the Kashi Vidyapith university in Varanasi was founded on Mahatma Gandhi's principle of Indian self-reliance through the boycott of colonial institutions?
 * 44) ...that actress Shabana Azmi portrayed the wife of a deaf-mute alcoholic potter in her debut film Ankur?
 * 45) ...that the Mahé River in India was nicknamed the "English Channel" because it separated British-ruled Thalassery from French-ruled Mahé?
 * 46) ...that Indian revolutionary Manmath Nath Gupta was tried for participating in the Kakori train robbery but was not hanged because he was a teenager?
 * 47) ...that Baba Kanshi Ram swore in 1931 to wear black clothes till India achieved independence and wore them without exception for twelve years till his death in 1943 earning the sobriquet of Siahposh General (General in Black)?
 * 48) ...that Colóquios dos simples e drogas da India was a scientific text published in Goa in 1563 that included the first published verses by Luís de Camões, Portugal's national poet?
 * 49) ...that Kolachal was the location of a battle in 1741 where for perhaps the only time in Indian history, an Indian kingdom defeated a European naval force?
 * 50) ...that Indian trade unionist Dutta Samant led an estimated 200,000 workers on a year-long strike in 1982, causing the exodus of the textile mill industry from Mumbai?